Safety Guide: Adopting a Dog from a Private Owner

The short answer

LocalPetFinder is a listing platform. We verify the owner's email but we do not vet the dog, the owner's identity, or the rehoming reason. That means the safety of the adoption is your responsibility — and the five steps below cover the patterns that prevent almost every reported scam: meet the dog in person, ask for vet records and microchip number, never send money before meeting, watch for pressure tactics, and trust your instincts when something feels off.

Why this matters

Pet scams in Canada are common and well documented. The Better Business Bureau, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and the SPCA networks across all provinces have published warnings about “free to good home” ads, fake breeder listings, and bait-dog acquirers who target rehoming-fee-free listings. The safest rehoming arrangements come from a handful of consistent habits, not from the platform.

LocalPetFinder is not Kijiji. Every rehoming owner has verified their email through a magic link before a listing goes live, the contact form keeps your email private, and we remove listings that violate our terms. But we are still a listing platform, not a party to the adoption. You are responsible for what happens between you and the owner once you connect.

For adopters: the 10 red flags

Refusal to meet in person. The single biggest red flag. Every legitimate rehoming includes at least one meet-and-greet before any money changes hands.
Pressure to decide in hours, not days. Urgency is a classic scam tactic. Real owners know a thoughtful placement takes time.
Deposit requests before the meet-and-greet. There is no legitimate reason to send money before meeting the dog.
Owner location far from the listing city. Scammers often relist photos pulled from real owners and pose from a different province or country. Verify the owner can meet you in person locally.
Refusing a video call. A short video call where the owner shows the dog responding to their name is one of the easiest ways to confirm the dog is real.
Vague answers about the dog's history. Honest owners want to talk about their dog at length. Scammers redirect to logistics.
No vet records, no microchip, no clinic name. Every Canadian dog over a few years old has a vet relationship and most have a microchip. Refusal to share basic medical info is a tell.
Cash-only deal with no paper trail. A rehoming agreement is a few sentences on paper. Refusal to sign anything is a warning sign.
Multiple listings from the same phone or email. One owner rehoming multiple unrelated dogs at once is a flipper pattern, not a single family rehoming a beloved pet.
Anything that feels wrong. If a single message gives you a sinking feeling, trust it. The cost of walking away is small. The cost of pushing through a bad gut feeling is large.

The meet-and-greet checklist

The meet-and-greet is the single most important step. Plan it in a neutral public location for the first meeting (a park, a vet clinic parking lot, a coffee shop with a patio) before any visit at either home. Bring photo ID, your prepared questions, and ideally a trusted second person.

At the meeting, look for distinctive markings, scars, or eye colour that match the listing photos. Watch how the dog responds to the owner — a real bond shows in body language even in a stressful setting. Watch for the owner's comfort answering detailed questions. Honest owners welcome detail. Scammers rush past it.

What to verify before money changes hands

Vet records. Either the records themselves or the vet clinic name and phone so you can confirm the dog was a patient.
Microchip number and current registration. Ask the owner to look it up on a registry like PetSearchCanada, AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup, or the original microchip provider so you can confirm the chip matches the dog and the owner.
Spay/neuter status. If the owner says the dog is altered, ask for the vet record confirming it.
Current prescriptions. The prescribing vet and the current supply so you can pick up the next refill.
Food brand and feeding schedule. Sudden food switches stress a dog. Match the existing food for the first two weeks at minimum.
A short written rehoming agreement. Names, contact info, dog description, date, and the rehoming fee if any. A few sentences signed by both parties is enough.

For rehomers: how to screen adopters

Most of the scam-prevention work is on the adopter side, but rehomers have their own filtering job — making sure your dog goes to a home that suits them. Reply to the first message with a few specific questions: who lives in the household, what other pets they have, what their daily routine looks like, whether they own or rent. Honest adopters reply in detail. People who answer in one-word lines or who push to pick up the dog the same day are filtering themselves out for you.

If you can, do a home check. A short visit to where the dog will live is the single best filter against bad outcomes. If a home visit is not practical, ask for a video walk-through of where the dog will sleep, eat, and spend time. Adopters who refuse a home check or a video walk-through are telling you something important.

The rehoming-fee question

Set a rehoming fee. The number matters less than the principle. Truly free listings on Kijiji and Facebook have a documented animal-welfare risk — dog-flippers, bait-dog acquirers, and other bad actors target free listings deliberately. A modest fee ($100 to $500) discourages most of them without crossing into commercial-sale territory.

If you are uncomfortable with a fee on principle, consider asking for a vet-bill reimbursement instead. The intent is the same: a small paperwork hurdle that filters bad actors.

Reporting a scam or a bad actor

LocalPetFinder. Email info.localpetfinder@gmail.com with the listing URL and a short description of what happened. We review and remove listings that violate our terms.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca — for financial fraud or impersonation patterns. They track scam trends and can help recover funds in some cases.
Your local SPCA. If you suspect a dog is being sourced from puppy mills, dog fighting, or other animal cruelty situations, your provincial SPCA has a cruelty hotline. BC SPCA cruelty reporting and Alberta SPCA reporting are the central provincial intake points.
Local police non-emergency line. For threats or harassment.

Need to rehome your own dog?

List your dog free on LocalPetFinder. We'll review within 24 to 48 hours and your dog will appear alongside rescue listings in your city. You screen adopters using the safety steps in this guide.

Start your rehoming listing →

FAQ for adopters

Is contacting a rehoming owner on LocalPetFinder safe?

LocalPetFinder verifies the owner's email address before a listing goes live, and the contact form keeps your email private. But we do not vet the owner's identity, the dog, or the rehoming reason. You are entering a private arrangement with the owner and you should treat it as one. Use the safety steps in this guide to protect yourself.

What are the biggest red flags when contacting a rehoming owner?

The biggest red flags are: refusing a meet-and-greet, pressuring you to pay before meeting the dog, location of the dog far from where the listing said, the owner refusing to share vet records or a microchip number, the dog matching photos but the owner avoiding video calls, cash-only deals with no paper trail, and any pressure to decide in minutes or hours rather than days. If you see two or more of these, walk away.

Should I send a deposit to hold the dog?

No. Never send money before you meet the dog in person and confirm the dog matches the listing. There is no legitimate reason for an owner to ask for a deposit before a meet-and-greet. This is the most common scam pattern: an emotional listing, a remote owner, a deposit request, and then the dog never appears.

What should I bring to a meet-and-greet?

Photo ID for both parties, a notepad with your prepared questions, your phone to take photos, and if possible a trusted second person. If you have a current dog or kids who will live with the new dog, ask if you can bring them to a second meet once the first one has gone well. Meet in a neutral, public location (a park, a vet clinic parking lot, a coffee shop with a patio) for the first meeting, not at either home.

What questions should I ask the owner?

Ask about the dog's history (where they got the dog, how long they have had them), the real rehoming reason, behaviour with kids/cats/other dogs, house-training status, energy level, medical history, vaccinations, spay/neuter status, microchip status, current food brand, any prescriptions or supplements, and what an ideal new home looks like to them. Honest owners welcome detailed questions.

How do I verify the dog is actually the dog in the photos?

Ask for a recent video call where the owner shows the dog responding to their name and a couple of basic cues like sit. Ask for a fresh photo with a piece of paper that has the current date written on it (this defeats reused-photo scams). At the meet-and-greet, look for distinctive markings, scars, or eye colour that match the listing photos.

What paperwork should I get when I take the dog home?

A short hand-written rehoming agreement signed by both parties (name and contact info for both, dog's name and description, date, agreed rehoming fee if any), the dog's vet records (or at minimum the vet clinic name and phone), microchip number and current registration, current food brand, any prescriptions and the vet who prescribed them, and ideally a leash, collar, and a few personal items the dog is familiar with (a bed, a toy). The owner should help you transfer the microchip registration to your name.

What if I take the dog home and something is wrong?

Reach out to the owner first. If they are responsive, most issues can be worked out (medication question, behavioural quirk you did not expect, vet records you need). If the owner ghosts you, you have very limited recourse legally because this was a private sale. This is why the meet-and-greet, paperwork, and clear questions before the handoff matter so much. If you suspect fraud, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca and to LocalPetFinder so we can remove the listing.

FAQ for rehomers

How do I screen adopters who reach out about my dog?

Reply to their first message with a few specific questions: who lives in their household, what other pets they have, whether they have dogs currently, what their living situation is (rental, ownership, fenced yard), and what their plan is for daily care. Honest adopters answer in detail. People who reply with one-word answers or who push to come pick up the dog the same day are screening themselves out for you.

Should I do a home check?

If you can, yes. A short visit to where the dog will live is the single best filter against bad outcomes. You see the household, the other pets, the space, and you read body language in person. If a home visit is not practical, ask for a video walk-through of where the dog will sleep, eat, and spend time. Adopters who refuse a home check or a video walk-through are telling you something important.

What is a fair rehoming fee?

Rehoming fees in Canada usually range $100 to $500, sometimes higher for purebred, young, or recently-vetted dogs. The fee discourages dog-flippers and bait-dog acquirers who target free listings. A truly free listing on Kijiji is documented as the highest-risk scenario for animal welfare. Set a fee that recovers a portion of your vet costs without crossing into commercial-sale territory.

What documents should I prepare for the new adopter?

Vet records (most clinics will release them with a phone call), microchip registration details so you can transfer them to the new owner, current food brand and feeding schedule, any prescriptions and the prescribing vet, a short written rehoming agreement (date, names, contact info, fee if any, dog description), and a handover bag with the dog's familiar items (bed, blanket, a toy, current food supply for at least a week). The transition is gentler on the dog with familiar items.

What if I get a sketchy message from a potential adopter?

Trust your gut. If something feels off, end the conversation. Common patterns to watch for: messages that do not ask about the dog (just about logistics like pickup time and price), pushy adopters who want to come immediately, vague answers about their household, adopters located far from the listed city, requests to ship the dog, refusal to meet in person, multiple inquiries from the same phone number under different names. Report problematic users to LocalPetFinder.

The platform terms — plain language

LocalPetFinder is a listing service. We connect adopters and rehoming owners but we are not a party to any adoption. We do not own the dogs, we do not screen adopters or owners, we do not verify medical history or behaviour, and we do not facilitate the financial transaction. Any agreement is between you and the other party. By contacting an owner through our platform, you acknowledge that you have read this safety guide and accept these terms.

We do, however, take active steps to keep the platform usable: email-verification for owners, listing review within 24 to 48 hours, removal of listings that violate our terms, and the safety acknowledgment built into the contact form. If you spot a bad-faith listing, please report it.